The present invention is directed to a new, high power lamp.
High power lamps are used for many illumination applications. The incandescent and fluorescent lamps, so familiar in homes and offices, do not provide enough illumination for many commercial and industrial applications. In fact, the lamp which has gained acceptance and which is typically used for high power illumination is known as the high intensity discharge (HID) lamp. This lamp is simple in structure, and generally consists of a glass envelope which contains two electrodes and a fill which vaporizes and becomes a gas when the lamp is operated.
The fill in the HID lamp usually contains mercury as its primary component. However, this is undesirable because mercury is a highly toxic and environmentally hazardous substance. Thus, if a HID lamp should break, dangerous mercury fumes would be emitted, and after the useful life of the lamp is over, there is no easy way to safely dispose of the mercury containing envelope. The widespread use of mercury containing lamps has been recognized as a serious environmental problem.
It is a feature of the present invention that instead of mercury, a substance which contains sulfur or selenium is used in the lamp fill.